DARDANELLE — The window in Ashley Andrews’ office overlooks State Highway 22, a road that intersects with Dardanelle’s Union Street. It’s fitting scenery for Andrews, the recently hired executive director of the Dardanelle Area Chamber of Commerce.

Where Union Street is the most populated road in Dardanelle — not to mention a hub for a constellation of local businesses — State Highway 22, which becomes State Highway 7 as it runs south, can take one to many of the outlying towns surrounding Dardanelle, although there may be a few turns along the way.

They’re two roads Andrews will travel frequently in her work as chamber director, a job that has reaffirmed hope, challenged her and inspired her.

The job at the chamber came about after a year of job-searching in the field of communications. It was a stressful time for Andrews, in which she could’ve easily been overcome by doubt. But she never gave up.

“In all aspects of my life, I’ve always had hope. I had been looking for every job I could get that was good for what I went to school for,” she said. “I never lost hope. I always kept my faith. And then this job came available, and I didn’t think I was going to get it. But I stuck with it and stayed hopeful, and here I am.”

Andrews found herself a good fit for the job. With a bachelor’s degree in communications from Arkansas Tech University and a strong personality that seeks to engage people, Andrews is up to the task of reigniting interest in the Dardanelle Chamber of Commerce.

“I’m not afraid to public speak. I’m not afraid to get out there and meet people,” she said. “I’m not shy, I’m not afraid to get out there in the community, and I think that plays a lot into the fact that I don’t mind taking a leadership role.”

It’s been mostly a learn-as-you-go experience for Andrews. She began the job three weeks ago, with less than a month to go before Yell Fest, the chamber’s biggest annual event. Stressful? Sure. Demanding? Definitely. But stress is only a motivator for Andrews.

“I enjoy leadership roles. I work well under stress, and I don’t mind doing what I have to do to get things done,” she said.

In the short time she’s been there, she has raised more than $2,000 in sponsorship funds, filled numerous craft and vendor slots, finalized the entertainment schedule, and coordinated the publicity.

“They had a lot of things set already. They’ve been doing this for 24 years, so I by no means came in and organized this entire thing,” she said.

Following Yell Fest, the chamber’s activities might slow down, but Andrews’ work is just beginning.

In a small area like Dardanelle, attracting local businesses to a chamber of commerce can be difficult.

But Andrews is anything if not ambitious: The chamber currently has approximately 60 businesses as members, but she hopes to double that number by doing it the old-fashioned way — meeting them face-to-face.

“I want to be out in the community, so if you open a new business here, I’m knocking on your door,” she said. “And I’m not knocking on your door to sell you anything, I’m here to say, ‘Welcome, I’m so glad you’re here. You’re helping our economy, and you’re helping our community.’”

“In this day and age, technology is such a big asset. People are using emails and we’re texting, but I really want to focus on face-to-face interaction,” she added. “I feel like the education I got in communication has readied me to do that, to go out and just meet people, and put a face behind that email.”

To increase participation, however, she’ll also have to increase awareness.

“Some people don’t know what we do here,” she said. “People don’t know that we have an organization that’s here to work for them, that’s here to promote them, that’s here to help them. We have to get the word out and say, ‘Hey, I’m here to help you.’”

She also wants to make it clear that the chamber is open to all businesses, regardless of size.

“I feel like many people think the chamber is out of their reach unless they’re a really large established business,” she said. “But I want to promote that I’m an advocate for every business, from the woman who opened up a hair salon with one other employee to the places like Tyson and Walmart.”

The job has already challenged Andrews and will challenge her even more in the coming months, but regardless of the difficulties of the work, Andrews’ involvement in the community has allowed her to meet the people of Dardanelle and understand just how special the community is that she’s serving.

“It’s the people. I have met some of the most wonderful people in the last three weeks that I’ve worked here,” she said. “The people are why I love this job. I don’t have to sit at my desk and fill out paperwork all day. I’m able to be out there, and that is what I love. That’s what I live for.”

“There” is an abstract word. It’s several places at once — both Dardanelle and its surrounding areas. The road to those places, and to a growing local economy, begins with the same road that Ashley Andrews’ office overlooks, a view that she hardly has time to pay attention to. Just like the local businesses she hopes to attract to the chamber, she has work to do.